Passenger-elevator.



PATBNTED APR. 9, 1907.

E. L. BALLARD.

PASSENGER ELBVATOR.

APPLwATIoN FILED sBPT.za.1eo5.

/N VE N TOI? @www 111111111111111111111111 -portion extending inwardlyfrom the door EDWARD L. BALLARD,

PASSENGER- OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELEVATOF-.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

To all whom' t may concern:

Be it known that i, EDWARD L. BALLARD, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State oi NewYork, have invented certain new and use't'ul improvements in Passenger-Elevators, of which the following is a spcciiication.

This invention relates to passenger-elevators, and has for its objectthe prevention of injury to persons entering er leaving the car wheresuch injuries are caused either by a premature starting movement of thecar or through loss ot control ofthe power mechanism operating the car.

Many accidents have occurred wherein persons under the circumstancesnoted have een caught between some portion of a building at orcontiguous to a landing and a portion ofthe car at one end of itsdoor-openingl resulting in either injury or death to the person socaught. Such accidents are especially liable in modern oliice andsimilar buildings where the passenger traffic is heavy and the quickstarting and rapid running of the elevators becomes imperative.Furthermore, in many private apartn'ienthouses and other dwellings theelevators, if not operated solely by the occupants ol the building, arefrequently run by inexperienced persons, which manifestly increases thedanger referred to.

In accordance with my invention a car is provided having atone endthereof an open opening, this open portion being normally closed by amovable closure or section mounted to yield under pressure, so as toprevent injury to a person caught between the saine and a landing orlil' 3 iied part.

In the accompanying drawing, forming part of this speciiication, the`ligure is a perspective view, partly broken away, illustrating aportion of au 'elevator-landing and-a ear, the latter disclosing anembodiment of my invention and a dotted represoritation below thelanding showing` the movable closure or section associated with the openportion in the top ol' the car in raised position.

In the embodiment ol my invention illustrated herein the car isdesignated 2, the entrance and exit door-opening 'thereof 10, thecar-roof or car-top 3, the opening in the latter extending inwardly fromthe dooropening 4, and the closure for this opening or movable section1.

The section 1 may be pivotally connected to the car at its upper inneredge by any suitable .means-as, for instance, by hinges 6 6 secured tothe cross-beam 7, forming part of the car structure, which beam servesor the central location of the pulley or sheave 8, around which thesuspending-cable Qpasses. lhen in its normally closed position, thelower outer edge ot the section 1 bears upon rests presented by the .u)per ends vo1 the vertical members of the Aoori'ranie and furnishingadditional support for the said section,

l1 indicates the cable for controlling the movements of the car, and 12a landing incompletely shown.

From the description thus far it will be readily understood that the carunder normal conditionswill move up and down within its well or way andstop at the landings thereof, as may be required. In the event, however,of a car being opposite a landing and a passenger' has but partlyentered or left said car the sudden downward movement of the car, due topremature starting or other cause, will result in the person of thepassenger coming in contact with the under side ofthe section 1, whichlatter will thereby be moved to the open position illustrated in thedotted representation in the drawing, to permit the head and upperportion of the passenger to project through the opening in the car-roof,and thus not onlyprevent injury to the passenger, but also ail'ord ampleopportunity 'lor the passenger to assume a safe posi tion either withinthe car or upon the adjacent landing, whereupon the section l can againclose the roof-opening.V

lt will be .noted that, as shown, the movable section 1 will normallytend to gravitally swing to a closed position, and hence the movement ofsaid section by hand is rendered unnecessary.

The specific manner of supporting the section 1 disclosed whileproviding for said section lying ilush with the adjacent roof portionalso avoids liability of any binding or sticking in position such asmight tend to interfere with the quick yielding action of the section.

IOO

As the presence of the movable section involves but little change 1n theear structure,

existing forms of structure een be readily equipped with my improvement.

I'inving now described my invention7 what I' claim new, and desire tosecure hy Let-l l ters Patent, isr

1. A passenger elevator-enr having' an entrance and exit opening throughone side thereof and en open portion in one end of the car extendingimvardly from said 'side opening and :L displee able closure normallyclosingv said open portion.

2. A passenger elevator-can' having :in entrance and exit openingTthrough one side of the sinne and a roof provided with an open portion.extending inwardlyv from said entrance and exit opening and a, lightydisplaceeble roof-seetion normally closing seid open portion. "m y 3. Anelevator eer or cage lia-ving an en trance and exit door opening in itsSide and a rooil or top which is provided with en open portion.extemling)r inwardly frein the doorl entrance and exit-opening, for thepurpose l set forth.

l 4l. An elevator ear or cage having an enl, trance and exitdoor-opening in its side and a proof or top which is provided with anopen l portion extending inwardlyT from the doorentrance and exitopening, and a, yieldable hinged closure for said opening in the roof ortop, for the purpose set forth.

trance and exit door-opening in its side, and provided with a roof ortop which is com plete except opposite the door-entrance andexit-opening' and is thereet rovide'd with an open portion which extemsinwardly-from the door-entrance end exit-opening.

Signed et New York, N. Y., in the county of' New York and State of NewYork, this 61h dey ofSepte1nher,A, D. 1905.

EDWARD L. BALLARD.

Witnesses T. B. ROBERTS, WM. JonNsToNE.

il l l l n 5. An elevator ear or esige having an en-l

